Have you ever noticed how colds tend to arrive almost on cue with cooler, darker days? Or perhaps like me, when you are on holiday!  I returned from a trip last week with a full blown viral infection and feeling pretty awful with it. The drop in temperature and different weather patterns as we move into more autumnal days combined with the mass return to work and education tends to be when we see the biggest uplift in viral infections.

But why does this time of year always seem to herald the return of bugs? A simple explanation could be the reduction in sunlight hours, a lowering of vitamin D levels and a shift in our circadian rhythms as the darker evenings return, all of which would affect our immunity. Unbeknownst to us, our bodies have seasonal immune ‘rhythms’, meaning they are constantly adapting to the changing environment. This can mean a shift in our immune resilience, but as long as we try to follow the seasonal patterns and know that we can support it naturally through our lifestyle choices, autumn doesn’t need to mean non-stop illness. 

Getting more rest and in particular sleep is essential at this time of year where our REM sleep is directly linked to our circadian clock and affected by the changing light. Researchers have found that feeling more tired in the colder months may be because we actually need more sleep – 30 more minutes to be precise!

Make sure you also maximise your daylight hours especially during autumn and winter. Whilst we stop getting enough vitamin D from the UV levels in the sun from around October in the Northern hemisphere, the sunlight can still help our adapting circadian rhythm which has an effect on our immunity. Vitamin D can be reinforced by supplementation (10 mcg is recommended by the NHS) but also by some dietary boosters such as oily fish, eggs, liver and certain mushrooms.

Whilst food alone can’t supply you with enough vitamin D throughout autumn and winter, it can certainly provide us with other nutrients which are needed for immunity. Think vitamin C, zinc, vitamin A, selenium and vitamin B6  which are the most essential for our immune systems though without a doubt many others play their part too. Luckily at this time of year, nature plays its part too and you’ll find an abundance of seasonal foods rich in some these nutrients, such as elderberries and oranges, rosehips and blackberries and vegetables such as spinach, carrots and squashes reminding us yet again to respect nature’s rhythm and eat seasonally. 

Which reminds me that these rituals aren’t about fighting nature, but flowing with it. When I was unwell last week, I felt off my food and didn’t want to eat. As I recovered my body naturally pushed me into a fasting state and made me want to sleep, which made me remember the old adage ‘feed a cold, starve a fever’. Whilst as a doctor I would never recommend starving anyone who is unwell (!) I did wonder if this was the bodies way of somehow protecting itself and boosting the immune system. I tried to find some research to highlight this but only found a couple of small studies. The research on the benefits of fasting is still in its infancy, so I imagine it will be a while before we hear about any more potential benefits. 

But in the meantime, I would again call on someone to listen to their own body if they aren’t feeling well. Not only are we out of synch with nature we have also often learnt to override our own internal patterns and cues, so learning to reconnect with our bodies as well as with the season could be the most positive thing you could do this autumn.